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.October 22, 2003
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This Week:

• BMW Asian Debuts at the 2003 Tokyo Motor Show: Three New Model Series, Numerous Innovations

• Jeep® Treo Designers Look into the Future to Create Earth-Friendly 'Urban Mobility Vehicle'

• GM, Isuzu, Suzuki and Fuji Heavy Industries Join Together In Tokyo

• The new Lancia Ypsilon: Elegant and luxury design with great driving pleasure

• New Saab 9-2X To Debut In Los Angeles In December

• New research vehicle F 500 points the way for the automotive technology of the future

• Ford, Changan Group Agree To Expand Production And Build New Car And Engine Plants In China

• Mini's Built To Order Drive Strong Demand, Strong Sales

• Honda Announces Automobiles and Motorcycles to be Displayed at the 37th Tokyo Motor Show

• Toyota Breaks Ground In San Antonio

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The new Lancia Ypsilon: Elegant and luxury design with great driving pleasure

 

Turin - This new Ypsilon represents the state of the art in the exclusive compact car segment. It is designed for sophisticated customers who are on a constant quest for unique products, who love to stand out in a crowd and seek the satisfaction of driving a car above all. And, like all the best Italian luxury products, the Lancia Ypsilon blends outstanding style with cutting-edge technology. This winning combination is complemented by highly sophisticated good looks that give a new feel to the famous Lancia shape, perfectly matched specifications and many customisation possibilities. The new car is set to win over the market with an understated charm that strikes a clever balance between stylistic sophistication and a good equipment specification. The most innovative feature of the new model is its Multijet engine. This can be combined with a dual mode robotised gearbox that will be known as a D.FN System (D.FN stands for Dual Function) on Lancia cars. This combines all the benefits of diesel and petrol in terms of performance and running costs - manual and automatic in terms of driving satisfaction. Lastly, a set of prestigious equipment features make this car a veritable pocket flagship: from its extensive Skydome roof to a dual zone automatic climate control system and Bose® Sound System Hi-Fi.

Lancia packs this wish list into four rules of seduction that make the Ypsilon into a real object of desire:

• Original, elegant styling;

• Cutting-edge engines and gearboxes;

• Prestige materials and 555 ways of experiencing the Ypsilon; 

• A pocket flagship.

The car captivates at first glance for its original style that is rooted in the past, flourishes in the present and sets the trend for the future.

The result is a car with an original profile, fully in keeping with new demands for a softer, more sensual shape. The most striking thing of all is the unmistakable Lancia sense of breeding. The sculpted front, for example, reveals a pleasing symphony of shapes, all dominated by a large upright grille. The light clusters are gem-like and spare in line with the new brand style philosophy.

Compared to the Lancia Y, the Ypsilon is thus apparently more imposing, more up-to-date, more involving and more appealing. The same consistency of styling makes the interior an emotionally involving environment, a true lounge yet also an up-to-date and functional interior to assure an extremely comfortable trip for driver and passengers alike. These sensations are aided by the particular care that has gone into the details, the use of top-quality material and the creation of sophisticated, stylish colour matches between the body shades and interior trim colours, a unique feature for this segment.

This innovative style is also borne out by the new 'Ypsilon' logo. The logo, designed by the Carrč Noir advertising agency, is a natural extension of the Y motif yet also a metaphor for the new level of style and content achieved by the model compared to the previous Lancia Y. The lettering has been expanded from the individual letter used on the previous car (i.e. a Y) to the word denoting the Greek letter in cursive writing: Ypsilon. The end result is a succinct, distinctive, stylish logo with an extra touch of non-conformism.

Photos: Automotive Intelligence

And so from design to engineering. The revolutionary power units and gearboxes available for the Lancia Ypsilon represent the cream of present-day engineering. Apart from anything else, the model owes its great road capability, perennially predictable behaviour and driving ease and satisfaction to the performance delivered by the four power units available. The first two are the tried and tested 60 bhp 1.2 unit and 80 bhp 1.2 16v unit, shining examples of how relatively small cylinder capacities can deliver great torque and fluidity.

The other two engines are new: a 95 bhp 1.4 16v and the revolutionary 1.3 Multijet 16v. The 1.3 Multijet 16v, in particular, develops a maximum power of 70 bhp at 4000 rpm while torque is 18.4 kgm at 1750 rpm The power unit, a monument to high technology, is enclosed in a one-piece block measuring less than 50 cm in length and 65 cm in height. It is in fact the smallest four cylinder Common Rail diesel engine on the market. The only power unit that can pack no fewer than six normal-sized components into a cylinder with a diameter of less than 70 mm: four valves, one injector and one spark plug. Not to mention the fact that the new power unit already meets Euro 4 emission limits.

Lancia proudly presents its 1.3 Multijet 16v engine combined with a manual gearbox or a D.FN System robotised sequential gearbox. This is a conventional manual gearbox fitted with an innovative transmission system.

The D.FN System gearbox works in two modes. The customer can opt for semiautomatic operation by engaging gears by means of a lever on the tunnel. Or the gearbox can be set to automatic. In the latter case, the driver can choose one of two strategies: Normal and Economy. In addition to the 1.3 Multijet 16v, the new model also offers a 95 bhp 1.4 16v.

This is the latest addition to the Fire range - and also the highest performer. The new engine offers a cylinder capacity of 1368 cc and a 4 cylinder in line configuration with bore of 72 millimetres and stroke of 84 mm. The four valves per cylinder are driven directly by two overhead camshafts.

The power unit was developed with particular attention to performance and fuel consumption, an area where the Lancia Ypsilon excels in its category. The 1.4 16v engine also meets Euro 4 emission requirements. Whichever you choose, the Lancia Ypsilon will be the ideal car in city traffic or over long and short out-of-town trips.

The new model range comes in three specifications (Ypsilon, Argento e Platino) and is one of the most comprehensive in the segment. One of its main benefits is the great potential for customization. The pocket flagship can offer no fewer than 555 combinations, achieved by matching eleven body colours, six different interior trims (available in eight different shades) and five types of alloy wheel (including the versions available from Accessories).

Whatever your choice and level of customization, the Lancia Ypsilon is always appealing and original, and oozes the Italian flair that is famed throughout the world. The new model also offers a set of exclusive devices that set it at the pinnacle of its category: one example is the Skydome (an option), a large glass sunroof that represents a first for this segment and offers a new way of experiencing car travel. The Lancia Ypsilon may also be optionally fitted with a Bose® Hi-Fi Sound System (standard on the Platino version) that is built by the US company. The sound wraps around all the occupants and gives them the sensation that it is traveling through a much larger environment, because the sound system and the passenger compartment have been designed together to ensure perfect harmony between the technical specifications of both.

The Lancia Ypsilon also comes with a sophisticated climate control system that automatically controls temperature, air flow, air distribution (differentiated into driver and passenger zones for the first time), compressor activation and recirculation by means of an electronic control unit.

The car also offers a wealth of other features that set it at the peak of its category: in the safety field, 4 airbags as standard (two front airbags and two window bags), sidebags, ABS with EBD, ESP with Hill Holder and Brake Assistance. And also: Dualdrive, an electric power assisted steering system with City function; cruise control that maintains a set cruising speed; windscreen wipers that activate automatically at the first drops of rain; headlights that come on as soon as you enter a tunnel and - last but not least - a sensor to aid parking manoeuvres.

(October 22, 2003)